Tractor.



E. E. HOWELL TRACTOR.

APPLlCATlON FILED APR. 16. I915.

1,175,451.. v Patented Mar. 14,1916.

A/ v 1.1. Rowan.

abbot/"e1 Wi d T EDWARD EARL HOWELL, 0F MILLBROOK, N YORK.

TRACTOR.

new and useful Improvements in Tractors,

of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to a rearaxle mounting for tractors and like machines, and has for its object to provide a device of this character which embodies novel features of construction whereby the drivev wheels upon opposite sides of the machine can be readily set at different elevations so as to admit of the tractor being readily used upon the side of a hill.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a device of this character which is comparatively simple and inexpensive in its construction, which admits of the axles upon which the wheels are journaled being raised or lowered by the operator without moving from his seat, which always maintains the proper tension in the drive chains, regardless of the elevation of the axle sections, and which is strong and durable in its construction and not liable to get out of repair.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain novel combinations and arrangements of the parts as will more fully appear as the description proceeds, the novel features thereof being pointed out in the appended claims.

Fora full understanding of the inven- .tion, reference is to be had to the following description and accompanying drawing,'in which Figure l is aside elevation of a tractor embodying a rear axle mounting constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through the segmental guides, showing the axle sections ar-.

Corresponding and like parts are referred" to in the following description and indicated in all'the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numeral 1 Specification of Iletters Patent.

. Patented Mar. Elsi, 19316.

Application filed April 16, 1915. Serial No. 21,68.

designates the main frame of the tractor, and 2 a transverse drive shaft which is journaled upon the main frame at an intermediate point in the length thereof. Power may be applied to this drive shaft 2 from any suitable form of engine mounted upon. the frame. Opposite ends of the transverse drive shaft 2 have sprocket wheels 3 rigidly applied thereto, said sprocket wheels engaglng drive chain 4: which also pass around to sprocket wheels 5applied to the drive or traction wheels 6 of the tractor.

The traction wheels 6 are j ournaled upon the outer ends 7 of axle sections which are mounted so as to be bodily raised and low- 5'0 ered independently of each other, thereby admitting of the traction wheels 6 on opposite sides of the frame being set at difierent elevations so that the tractors can be used.

efiectively upon the side of a hill. The outer ends 7*- of the axle sections upon which the wheels 6 are ournaled have a circular cross section, while the inner ends 7 are rectangular or square in cross section and are I shdably mounted within the curved or segso mental guides 8 which project both above and below the main frame 1, the curvature v of the guides having the axis of the transverse drive shaft 2 as a center so that the tension in the sprocket chains 4 will remain as the'same as the axles are adjusted, being neither increasednor decrease I The segmental guides 8 extend transversely of the machine and are arranged inalinement with each other, each of the. ac.

8. The inner ends of the segmental guide as ways 8 may be closed by the plates 8 said plates being connected by the brace members 9 so as to obtain a rigid construction. The side bars of the frame 1 are broken away to receive the segmental guideways 8 and the upwardly and downwardly projecting portions of the guideways 8 are connected to the frame 1 by diagonal braces 10 so as to obtain a strong and rigid construction.

Loosely connected at 11 to the square portions 7 of each of the shaft sections is an adjusting rod which extends upwardly through the top plate 8 of the guideway. Racks 12 are provided upon opposite sides of. the adjusting rod 12 ant. these racks 11o the top of-the guideway 8.

is rigid mesh with pinions 13 and 14 mounted upon One of these pinions, in the present instance the pinion 14 with a transverse shaft 15 which is journaled within suitable bearings 15 and 1s rovided at its inner end with a hand wheel 16. The two hand wheels 16 are located upon opposite sides of the opera-tors seat 17 so that they can be manipulated by him without diiiiculty. Any conventional form of latch means, such as that indicated at 18, may be provided for normally locking the shafts 15 against rotation,so that the axles will be held in an adjusted position.

- The axle sections are intended to maintain a. horizontal position as they are raised and lowered, and in order to prevent any possibility of the axle sections tilting from side v to side, some suitable form of guide means may be employed. In the present instance guide plates 19 are rigidly applied to the axle sections at the junction of the round outer ends 7 and square inner ends 7 thereof, the said guide plates sliding against and obtaining a bearing upon the outer edges of the guideways 8. The inner ends of the axle sections may be formed upon the raised and sides thereof with vertical ribs QOadapted to travel within guide grooves 21 formed in the side plates 8 of the guideways 8, In this manner the axle sections are prevented from tilting out of a horizontal position as they are raised and lowered.

The forward end of the tractor frame 1 may be supported in any suitable manner, g sl by means of a guide wheel 22, and the tire machine is controlled by an operator -from the seat 17. By releasing the latch means 18 and suitably manipulating the hand wheels 16 the two axle sections can be lowered independently of each other and set either at differentelevations or at the same elevation, as may be desired. The curvature of the guideways 8 has the axis of the transverse drive shaft 2 as a center so that the sprocket chains 4 remain under the same tension as the axle sections are adjusted vertically,

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

i, like,

for tractors and the including upright guideways applied to opposite sides of the main frame, horizontal axle sections provided with rectangular inner ends which are slidably received within the guideways and cylindrical outer ends projecting beyond the guideways, wheels journaled upon the said cylindrical outer ends, means for-raising and lowering the axle sections within the guideways, and r means for preventing tilting of the axle sections within the guideways.

2. An axle mounting for tractors and the like, including amain frame, corresponding 1. An axle mounting andupright guideways applied to opposite sidesthereof, independent horizontal axle sections formed with rectangular inner ends which are slidably mounted within the upi right guideways and cylindrical outer ends ways applied to oppos'te sides of the main frame, said guideways being formed with spaced side plates which are transversely disposed with respect to the machine and are provided toward the inner ends thereof with vertically extending grooves, independent axle sections formed with rectangular inner ends which are slidably received within the guideways and cylindrical ends projecting beyond the guideways, wheels journaled upon the said cylindrical ends of the axle sections, guide plates applied to the axle sections and ends of the guideways, ribs upon the inner ends of the axle sections which travel in the before mentioned grooves of the plates of the guideways, and means for independently adjusting the axle sections withinthe guideways, said axle sections maintaining a horizontal position at all times.

4:. An axle mounting for tractors and the like, including a main frame, uprightguideways applied to opposite sides of the main frame and formed with spaced side plates slidably engaging the outer and have vertically extending grooves at the inner ends thereof, independent axle sections formed with rectangular inner ends which are slidably received within the guideways and cylindrical outer ends which project from the guideways, wheels journaled upon the cylindrical outer ends of the axle sections, a guide plate applied to each axle section and slidably engaging theouter end of the guideway, guide ribs projecting from the inner ends of, the axle sections and loosely received within the before mentioned grooves of the side plates of the guideways, a rack bar connected to each axle section and extending through the guideway, pinions meshing with the rack bars, and independent incans for rotating the pinions to adjust the axle sections independently of each other, said axle sections maintaining a substantially horizontal position at all times. 7

5. An axle mounting for tractors and the like, including a main frame, corresponding upright guideways applied to CPPOSimQ sides justiiig the axle seeaions inclepemiemly of of the main frame, bi'azee members eonnecteach other. 10 ing the corresponding giiideweys brace in testimony whereof I my signat ire members connecting the ends of the some in. presence of two Witnesses.

Spending guideways to 'the main frame, in- EDWABD EARL HUWELL dependent axle; sections sliciably mounted Witnesses v Within the gliideways, Wheels journaled Em: C, Eoomee,

upon the axle sections, and means for ad- H. G. BRIGGS. 

